Catholic Charities helps 30 Dutchess families pay utilities

Dec. 23, 2012

Written by

Poughkeepsie Journal

Holiday Helping Hand

Where to Call

If you or someone you know needs help during the holidays, dial 2-1-1 for free access to information and referrals to services that provide basic needs including food, clothing and shelter; legal services; drug treatment; employment support; child care; and elder care. The confidential helpline, funded by United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, is available from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. It is staffed by knowledgeable and caring call specialists who can communicate with callers in more than 150 languages, as well as TTY for the hearing impaired. For more information, log on to www.uwdor.org.

How to Help

To make a donation, visit www.uwdor.org and click on Ways to Give, or send a check to Holiday Helping Hand, Poughkeepsie Journal, P.O. Box 1231, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602. Checks should be made payable to Holiday Helping Hand. All donations will benefit Dutchess County residents.

On the Web

Visit www.poughkeepsie journal.com/hhh for the history of the the Holiday Helping Hand campaign, view videos and photos, read profiles on partner organizations and learn how to donate this holiday season. Follow us on Twitter at @PokJournal and share reasons why you donate using hashtag #holidayhand.

Recent Donors

For a list of recent donors, see Page 3B.

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As the weather gets colder, budgets get tighter, with families struggling to make each penny stretch to now include heating costs as well as all the other household expenses. Sometimes, this may mean sacrificing things like presents for the holidays.

Each year, Holiday Helping Hand helps Dutchess County nonprofits make the lives of county residents a little better for the holidays by providing utilities vouchers to assist in offsetting costs of heating and electricity.

One such nonprofit is Catholic Charities, which provides case management programs, immigration services, a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a Guild for the Blind, financial literacy classes, Income Tax Credit Program assistance through the Creating Assets Savings and Hope (CASH) Coalition of Dutchess and Orange counties, and support for immigrant women.

Holiday Helping Hand — the annual fundraising campaign sponsored by the Poughkeepsie Journal and United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region — will provide vouchers for Catholic Charities to assist in utilities payments for 30 Dutchess families this year. Funds raised this year will benefit organizations next year and, to date, a record $30,800 has been raised.

“When we think about the holidays, our first thought is often the gifts we provide to our family and friends that warm their spirit,” said Diane Hart, director of Community Impact at United Way. “Through Holiday Helping Hand, this year, Catholic Charities is providing warmth in its true sense with a gift of heating assistance to ... families in our community.”

This is the first year Catholic Charities is participating in the Holiday Helping Hand fund.

“We have a similar program for gift giving so we had not participated in the past,” said Mary Marshall, director of Community Services of Dutchess County at Catholic Charities. “But when we saw that we could help with utilities, we decided to sign up. So many people are struggling with their utilities — sometimes thousands of dollars in arrears — and sometimes, our being able to be an advocate to prevent shutoff is just enough. Every dollar helps.”

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Especially with a struggling economy, it’s easy for residents to find themselves in a tight spot while budgeting.

“There was a day in November that every call was about utilities help,” said Catholic Charities volunteer Pegeen Wall, 71, of the Town of Poughkeepsie. “It’s surprising how many people are in need and desperate for help that never thought they would need it. With the loss of jobs and health benefits, it’s amazing how quickly things can spiral out of control.”

Which is where Catholic Charities comes in. With offices in Poughkeepsie, Catholic Charities aims to “give people back their dignity,” Marshall said. Through its programs, the nonprofit tries to teach financial planning basics as well as providing support and assistance for crisis situations.

“We try to solve the problem long-term instead of just putting a Band-Aid on it,” Marshall said.

The families who receive help often want to express their gratitude by paying it forward, too.

“We’ve had people call and say they don’t need the help this year, but are looking to help others who do,” said volunteer Sophia Sciacca, 48, of the Town of Poughkeepsie. “When someone is in need and you treat them with respect, when they are back in a position to give back, I’ve found they try to.”